If neither one takes that unlikely option, they'll be asked if they want to run a tie-breaking race or flip a coin.

This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

lennavan:If neither one takes that unlikely option, they'll be asked if they want to run a tie-breaking race or flip a coin.

This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

This. Anyone who chooses to not earn their spot should go home. If they both choose the flip, give it to whoever came in 5th.

lennavan:This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

Well, it says if they disagree, they race for it. Which is the right thing to do and I hope that a raceoff is how it ends. Same as in any other sport: settle it on the field.

I can see why they give a non-race option though, as there is a non-zero chance that if they did race again, they could get injured and not be able to go even if they won. I agree they should run, but having both options available is important.

Gosling:lennavan: This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

Well, it says if they disagree, they race for it. Which is the right thing to do and I hope that a raceoff is how it ends. Same as in any other sport: settle it on the field.

The NFL actually does have a coin flip as a tiebreaker, but it's something like the 15th tiebreaker. The odds of it ever getting to that point are beyond astronomical.

Gosling:lennavan: This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

Well, it says if they disagree, they race for it. Which is the right thing to do and I hope that a raceoff is how it ends. Same as in any other sport: settle it on the field.

I know. That was the point I was making. If they disagree and one wants to race and the other wants to flip, forget the race, just give it to the person who wanted to race. You know, kinda like King Solomon did with the kid being cut in half?

If they determine this by coin flip, I want a full production. Hour long special with uncomfortable interviews from Jim Grey. Also do a couple of segments on the origin of the coin they will be flipping, and proper coin flipping strategy.

Gosling:lennavan: This has to be one of those King Solomon moments. Do you want a tie breaking race where you earn the spot or a 50/50 chance where luck determines it? 50/50 chance? Yeah, we just decided the other chick is going.

Well, it says if they disagree, they race for it. Which is the right thing to do and I hope that a raceoff is how it ends. Same as in any other sport: settle it on the field.

I think that, obviously, the best solution would be to ask six different people to construct computer models (hiding from public view, of course, the algorithm that goes into the models), polling a bunch of people who at one point in time might have had something to do with racing, and then polling the coaches of the various other nation's teams. That's clearly the best way to decide.

Broktun:save russian jews: What happens if one wants the coin flip and one wants the race

Race

So, even if both runners prefer the coin flip, for reasons of convenience, injury risk or whatever, there's a prisoner's dilemma here. If you choose the coin flip and your opponent chooses the runoff, it makes you look bad, particularly if the opponent then defeats you in the runoff.

In any event, I can't imagine either of them actually choosing a coin flip. Competition runs through these people's veins at all times. And yeah, I realize it's not as simple as getting back out on the track and going for another 10 seconds; they have to coordinate schedules, get back into the training cycle, carbo load or whatever it is sprinters do (I sure as hell wouldn't know), all that stuff. Not easy, at all. But this is what they live to do. When they tell their grandchildren about the time they were either in the Olympics or first alternate to the Olympics, and they're asked the question "how did you get in" or "how did you just miss out," they're going to want to give an answer that sounds good.

C'mon this is the U.S. of A. Olympic team we're talking about. Fox needs to produce a reality show about this and give each athlete the chance to sing a song that best exemplifies why they should be on the team. Then each viewer can vote up to 25 times to decide the winner.

SevenizGud:Since boobs are unneeded weight, give the spot to the one willing to get double mastectomy. And if both agree, appendix. And if both agree, kidney. Etc.

I disagree: if they could have somehow replaced one or the other's breasts with a larger (and lighter, so as not to slow her down) substitute, assuming it would still have come down to the wire, the better-endowed of the two would have won.

bacongood:If they use this in the future for other races, it just is horrible for anything over 200m.

Why?

They're not going to run the race the day after the tied event. Unless it's a race for the marathon (which would be a complete shock to end in a tie that's so close that there's no photographic evidence) in the Olympics, I don't see why it would be a problem. Again, it's better than a freaking coin flip.